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A review by niamhreviews
Queen B by Juno Dawson
4.0
I was very kindly given an e-ARC of this book via Netgalley and HarperCollins.
Honestly, I put down Her Majesty's Royal Coven when I started reading it a few months ago (I had it on audio, I was very confused with such an enormous cast of characters) but after picking this one up, I feel far more inclined to return to it in a different medium and see if I enjoy it. 'Queen B' is a novella set in Tudor England, building on the theory that Anne Boleyn was actually a witch. Anne is more of a side character in the story - the central part focuses on Grace Fairfax, one of her young ladies in waiting and another witch.
Generally, I found this book to be compelling and well-written, packed full of historical action. Dawson really captures the period well and the fantastical elements only enhance the intrigue and gothic nature of the Tudor setting. I did find there to be too many indistinguishable characters - they're not given enough time to become unique persons due to the short number of pages - I warmed to Grace as a lead character over time and sort of wish I'd been able to spend more time with her in the present than in the past. The later connection to a real-life figure of history was also excellently put together.
I'm knocking a star off because I felt, once we'd hit halfway, that the story was beginning to lose steam. The novella jumps back and forth between the past and the present, telling two tales simultaneously - the fallout following Anne Boleyn's execution and her using her witchcraft to entrance the King and make herself Queen, all told through Grace's POV. Things start strong - the coven has vowed vengeance on the woman who betrayed Anne - but start to fall apart once they discover where the woman has run to and when they find her. I found the 'I did it for love' motivation to be bland and uninteresting, particularly as Grace and the betrayer were written with very similar constitutions. More distinction would have made the chase and the capture more interesting.
Nevertheless, I'd love to see Juno Dawson write more in these historical contexts - she has a fantastic grasp on the period and there's so much detail in every chapter. With the hundreds of 'witchy' books out there, she really presents something unique and interesting. And with the line at the end, is there a suggestion that we may see more of these witches and their connection to the royal family in the future? I'd love to see it with Victorians, particularly as (following Elizabeth I) we had to wait until Victoria to get a full proper Queen on the throne.
'Queen B' is available from July 18th.
Honestly, I put down Her Majesty's Royal Coven when I started reading it a few months ago (I had it on audio, I was very confused with such an enormous cast of characters) but after picking this one up, I feel far more inclined to return to it in a different medium and see if I enjoy it. 'Queen B' is a novella set in Tudor England, building on the theory that Anne Boleyn was actually a witch. Anne is more of a side character in the story - the central part focuses on Grace Fairfax, one of her young ladies in waiting and another witch.
Generally, I found this book to be compelling and well-written, packed full of historical action. Dawson really captures the period well and the fantastical elements only enhance the intrigue and gothic nature of the Tudor setting. I did find there to be too many indistinguishable characters - they're not given enough time to become unique persons due to the short number of pages - I warmed to Grace as a lead character over time and sort of wish I'd been able to spend more time with her in the present than in the past. The later connection to a real-life figure of history was also excellently put together.
I'm knocking a star off because I felt, once we'd hit halfway, that the story was beginning to lose steam. The novella jumps back and forth between the past and the present, telling two tales simultaneously - the fallout following Anne Boleyn's execution and her using her witchcraft to entrance the King and make herself Queen, all told through Grace's POV. Things start strong - the coven has vowed vengeance on the woman who betrayed Anne - but start to fall apart once they discover where the woman has run to and when they find her. I found the 'I did it for love' motivation to be bland and uninteresting, particularly as Grace and the betrayer were written with very similar constitutions. More distinction would have made the chase and the capture more interesting.
Nevertheless, I'd love to see Juno Dawson write more in these historical contexts - she has a fantastic grasp on the period and there's so much detail in every chapter. With the hundreds of 'witchy' books out there, she really presents something unique and interesting. And with the line at the end, is there a suggestion that we may see more of these witches and their connection to the royal family in the future? I'd love to see it with Victorians, particularly as (following Elizabeth I) we had to wait until Victoria to get a full proper Queen on the throne.
'Queen B' is available from July 18th.